OPINION: SA20 fans have set bar high — now it’s up to the rugby supporters

From everything I’ve read this week, it would appear the players are extremely excited about this weekend’s Gauteng derby between the Lions and Bulls in Joburg on Saturday.

Both teams are high on confidence, having won their respective Champions Cup and Challenge Cup games against European opposition last weekend, while both have plenty to play for as the United Rugby Championship resumes after a two-week break.

A number of big-name players will be in action at Ellis Park, many of them Springboks, while there may even be a pair of brothers clashing in the backlines, namely Richard and David Kriel of the Lions and Bulls respectively.

Of course, the local derbies are always hard affairs, where no inch or metre is given, while we shouldn’t forget about the bragging rights, even if only for a few days.

Social event

The big question though is, will the fans come out in their numbers to support the Lions and Bulls this weekend?

A 2.45pm kick-off at Ellis Park is ideal for the supporters. Often in the past, fans have stated it’s too dangerous being in Doornfontein after dark and rightly so, but this weekend, that won’t be the case.

Also, it’s not only Lions fans who’ll go through the gates, but Bulls fans, too, who’re just an hour up the road from Ellis Park.

One of the big wins of the ongoing SA20 cricket competition is how many fans have bought tickets and made the effort to get to the grounds to support their teams – or just the cricket in general. Or, as I’m sure is the case in many instances, it’s simply an opportunity to socialise and mingle, especially for the younger crowd.

What has changed for the fans to be going to local T20 cricket? Is it the attraction of the international players, the marketing, the hype, the thrills of the action … or the relaxed nature of being at a cricket ground? Or could it be the fact you’ve got a chance to win a few bucks if you can take a one-handed clean catch in the stands?

It’ll be very interesting to see how many fans make their way through the turnstiles at Ellis Park on Saturday.